PARK RIDGE - The Owls pounded out 14 hits en route to a five inning, 12-0 victory over Cresskill in an April 21 NJIC contest.

"We've been playing really well the last couple of games," said senior shortstop Alexis Criscuolo. "We really have been able to come together. The excitement and the energy really brings us up so as long as we keep up the energy we will continue to do well."

"Our bats really came alive today," said Park Ridge coach Cindy Turner. "I was very proud of them. Sometimes we go hot and cold a little bit but today I think they had attack on their mind. They went up and they were swinging at good pitches, being aggressive on the bases and that's all you can ask for."

Cougars junior Geralyn Picinich is safe at third as Owls senior shortstop Alexis Criscuolo is late with the tag.

Park Ridge broke the game open in the second inning when they took advantage of six hits and some sloppy fielding by the Cougars to score seven runs.

Junior pitcher Erica Huber got things going with a base hit to left. Freshman third baseman KellyAnn Rubino ripped a double to left to score courtesy runner Anna Lemba, who had gone in for Huber. An infield hit by senior Martina McGee moved Rubino to third and one pitch later McGee stole second to put runners on second and third with nobody out.

Sophomore Camryn Layne lofted a fly ball into short center, and as Cougars infielders and outfielders converged on the ball, the ball tipped off a glove and fell to the ground. A couple of throwing errors later, Rubino and McGee had both scored and Layne made it to second.

The Cougars got a ground ball out but Criscuolo knocked in a run with a base hit and Lindsay Beer was safe on an error. Catcher Melissa Dulberg scored Criscuolo with a bunt and sophomore Angela Rivera scored Beer with a single to right.

Rivera scored the seventh run of the inning when Huber hit a bomb to right-center that went for an RBI-triple.

"Overall," said Owls assistant coach Christina Lizzi, "it's been a lot of great team effort all around. From the beginning to the end of our lineup, on the bench or whoever is on the field, it's a collective effort by everybody. The success that we've had is due to that."

SUBS IN

After the Owls tacked on four more runs in the third inning, Turner pulled a lot of the starters in favor of the subs. Senior Kim Conroy, juniors Mia Pagano and Lemba and sophomore Christina Kvopka all got base hits to the delight of their teammates.

"It's inspiring to see how hard everyone works and how everybody is pulling for each other," said Turner. "They're a very close team and the senior leadership has been phenomenal.

"You could see when the subs came in today how much everybody cheered for them. They came in, they all got hits and they were making the plays in the field."

Layne is an example of a true team player, according to Turner.

"She does everything," said Turner. "She plays third base, she catches, she plays the outfield and she pitches on JV. She's willing to do anything and everything for her team."

Cougars junior third baseman Geralyn Picinich had led the game off with an infield hit, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Cara-lyn Morrissey and made it to third on a wild pitch. But a great play by Rivera at first, in which she fielded a bunt and fired it to Dulberg, nailed Picinich at home.

'SUPER STRONG'

Huber settled down after that, only giving up a single to junior Sam Monaco with one out in the second inning and a two-out base hit to freshman Madison Vacco in the fifth and final inning. Huber finished with seven strikeouts, walked no one and only gave up three hits.

"She's done really well," Criscuolo said. "We're all confident in her that she can do anything. She has faced the best and been through everything. We can really stand by her and we really trust her in any game. Being able to have trust in your pitcher gives a team a certain bond. If you have trust in your pitcher you have trust in each other and you're able to make the plays."

"She's (Huber) been super strong this year," Turner added. "She's doing a fantastic job. She's (Lizzi) calling a great game and Erica's really responding to everything. She's doing fantastic and we couldn't ask more from Erica. She's really helping us out."